Cursed Moon
by water-fire-earth
Summary: Remus fic: Kate likes Remus who likes Skye who likes Zack Hmm confusing..A winter ball, the Marauders and of course Remus's dark secret but is he finally going to have to face his fears to get what he wants? ?
1. The Winter Ball type thing

**Authors Notes:** Been wanting to write a Remus fic for a bit now so here it is! I always see him as the Marauder whose more of a closed book and is harder to read and therefore verrrry interesting. Reviews are very much loved and wanted so please do!

Remus sat alone at his desk absorbed in the torrent of thoughts that hounded his mind. Running his quill back and forth along the desk he slowly scored a deep scar across the surface. First class of the day and he was disturbingly early, something almost unknown to any of the Marauders, but Lupin found at the moment he seemed to have a lot on his mind and found sanity in the regular rhythm of his class timetable.

Slowly the empty seats around him began to fill as students reluctantly joined him with text books, quills and parchments. As ever the Marauders sloped in last and as they slid into the desks around him he let their usual banter wash over him.

"Seriously though Padfoot, how the hell did you manage to get Silvia Glade?" hissed Peter as he leant across Remus to interrogate Sirus.

James who had been staring idly into space and ruffling his already rumpled black hair sat up in shock and stared at Sirus incredulously. "That's who you were with last night? But she's…"

"Smart, witty, intelligent and not to mention one of the most gorgeous looking Ravenclaw?" finished Peter.

"Well Yeah"

Sirus grinned nonchalantly and leant back lazily on his chair. "I think it should be you asking HER how she managed to get ME"

The Marauders rolled their eyes in exasperation at this and suddenly from behind a rolled piece of parchement hit Sirus roughly around the head.

"Ow!" he yelped rubbing his head and craning round to see the abuser.

Remus by now intrigued twisted round to see Lily brandishing the offending parchment. "Tell me Black is it hard to stay upright with a head that big?"

Sirus grinned winningly at the red head and leant back further towards her "Now, now Lily there is no need to degrade yourself to low insults" he replied running his fingers through his long, slightly dishevelled raven black hair "It's sometimes difficult to go through life with this devilish charm and my roguish good looks. " he sighed in fake despair "Please tell me Lily what can I do to stop women throwing themselves at me?"

At these words Remus, James and Peter looked at each other and with a slight nod from James they simultaneously reached forward and pushed Sirius lightly. Already leaning precautiously backwards this final push caused Sirius to fall backwards flailing and hit the floor with a crash.

The look of shock and hurt on his face as he lay sprawled on the floor caused the class around him to erupt in laughter. Remus couldn't help smiling widely at his close friend as he made no attempt to get up or move in any way. Watching the scene in front of him he couldn't help but muse. No matter how stupid or embarrassing a situation was somehow Sirius always managed to look good, it was almost as if his large ego ensured he was never the laughed at but was laughed with.

Behind he caught sight of Lily and Skye collapsed on the desk giggling helplessly as Siruis made a show of bowing to the class as he stood up. Lily's emerald green eyes sparkled with laughter and her red coils of hair shone in the sunlight streaming through the window, but Remus only had eyes for Skye. He watched as she tried to compose herself her delicate lips curved into a smile as she retied her light blonde hair back into a perfectly messy knot that allowed strands to fall, framing her face.

As the Professor walked in and began the lesson Remus relucatantly forced himself to turn round and returned to absentmindedly scoring the scar in the desk deeper and deeper.

"So Moony who you thinking of taking to this winter ball type thing Lily's decided the commitee should organise this year?" asked James as he reached across for a second bread roll at Lunch. Remus sighed heavily and fiddled with his goblet of Pumpkin Juice knowing full well what he'd like to say but couldn't.

"Erm not really thought about it" he lied suddenly becoming very absorbed in choosing a piece of cheese.

James put down the bread roll and frowned as he watched his friend carefully. "Lupin no one sighs like you just did and then says they haven't thought about it. Is there something I should know? he raised an eyebrow in mock interrogation mode.

Remus swallowed hard and attempted to look unconcerned "No…" he said searching for a believable excuse "the sigh was because I haven't thought about it and you've just reminded me I've got to!" he smiled pleased with his quick thinking and concentrated on trying to move the subject away from him. "You?" Immediatly he mentally kicked himself, after thinking such an effective lie why the hell did he have to follow it up with that?

As expected James looked incredulous and then frowned harder "Now I _know_ there's something up with you, otherwise you wouldn't have asked a pointless question like that! I'm going with Lily of course"

As if on cue Lily slipped into the space next to James and slapped him lightly on the hand "Oh are you now?" she teased raising an eyebrow "You haven't asked me yet..What if I say no?"

"Ohh so it's like that is it?"

"Yes it is"

"You actually want me to ask you officially?"

Lily smiled "You didn't just assume I was going with you?"

James shrugged carelessly and a glint came into his dark eyes "Ok then" Standing up he grabbed both of Lily's hands in his.

"Lily Evans" he began loudly, immediatly around him intrigued students swung around in their direction in interest.

Lily face began to glow as red as the tendrils of hair that hung loosely around her.

"For Merlin's sake James sit down and stop making a spectacle of yourself" she pleaded "I was joking!"

But James just grinned at her shook his head and continued louder than ever "Please would you do me the great honour..(By now two thirds of the Great Hall were craning to watch) of accompanying me to the Winter ball dance type thing?"

This earned him a ringing of laughter and a few groups of girls to look with great envy at Lily as the Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team awaited her answer.

Lily put her head in her hands in embarrassment and gave a muffled reply "If I say Yes will you sit down and shut up?"

"Is that a Yes?"

Despite her embarrassment Lily couldn't help but laugh as James stared at her with a forlorn puppy look. "Ok, ok Yes!" she replied and stood up kissing him lightly on the cheek.

The Gryffindors burst into applause and someone wolf whistled loudly. Shaking her head Lily grabbed James's hand and dragged him back down. Frowning she tried to push of James's attempts at affection but when she turned Remus could see the look in her eye told a different story.

He smiled out of relief realising he'd just narrowely skipped interrogation off James thanks to Lily.

"How abooouuttt her?"

"Cady? Nope she's taken already"

Sirus was lounging on one of the large armchairs by the fire in the Gryffindor common room casually scanning the room. Idily leant against the armchair sat James and Peter following his line of gaze. Beside them at a low table Lupin was knelt working away

"Hey, any of you guys know what's important about Jupiter being in the third house this week?" Remus asked frowning at a complicated planet chart in front of him. Tatters of parchment with long calculations scrawled across them littered the floor around him and text books wobbled precautiously in large piles.

James gave him an absurd look "Your seriously asking us? I mean you know for a fact I make divination up as I go along…in fact I think its almost Hogwarts _tradition _over half the class make it up"

Remus looked up tiredly and pushed his long dark blonde hair away from his eyes. "Yeah your right maybe I should admit defeat"

Sirius grinned excitedly "That's the spirit Moony! Come on you can help us!"

Remus gave him a look of total non amusement. "Yes, yes I'd love to join in your game of 'lets pick any random girl that isn't taken that Remus can take to the ball" he said the sarcasm high in his voice.

"Oh come on Moony it's not like that! Almost every damn girl in the school would say yes to you!" James exclaimed "Cept' for maybe the Slytherins" chipped in Peter. James shot him a look and continued "It's just you'll probably not get round to picking a girl and it's keeping Padfoot highly entertained!"

"Heyy is this just to keep me quiet then?" said Sirius

"Well partly.."

Sirius attempted to look hurt, got bored and went back to the game. "How abooouut her?"

Remus shook his head in exsaperation and gathered his books together, catching sight of Lily in the opposite corner of the Common Room he made his escape.

"Help me" he yelped as he collasped beside her in a tired heap.

Lily looked up from her book and glanced over at the Marauders who were now fighting over whether Sirius had been out with some random Gryffindor girl once or twice. "Dare I ask what your escaping from?"

"They're trying to pick someone suitable for me to ask to the Ball" he mumbled fiddling with the hem on his robes

"And your letting them?" asked Lily shaking her head in disbelief.

"Welll not exactly...it's not as if I'll listen to their advice and any way James is right it IS keeping Sirius entertained for once"

Lily sighed tiredly and leant her head on Remus's shoulder, "Isn't there anyone you'd like to take anyway?"

"Well yes.."he admitted his eyes downcast, fearing that if he looked Lily in the eye somehow she would reveal his secret "but it's complicated, especially as she's taken"

"Hmm I'm guessing that would pose a problem, ok I've got some good advice then are you ready?"

Remus smiled slightly "Well if your advice is anything like the advice I'v been given by that lot in past (inclining his head in the direction of the Marauders) then no!"

"Trust me, Ok here it is and I think its pretty simple, why don't you just take someone you get on well with and will have a good time with even just a friend?"

Remus turned to look at Lily "You know Lils I think that might be the best advice I've been given in a long time" he smiled pulling himself up "Thanks"

Lily watched as the quiet Marauder left the common room and shook her head, for all the years she'd known him she felt she'd barely scratched the surface to the man beneath.

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Notes: More indepth in the next chapter I swear! I felt this first chapter was definatly just sorting out the base storyline and everything. Please review now you've read! 


	2. Just Ask her!

A/N: Finally Chapter 2! Its really been too long but I promise I will try much harder to keep updates frequent from now on.. I think this chapter is way better than the first which i'm not really happy with and plan to revise. Ok so enough from me READ and then REVIEW review review! I love reviews caus then I know what your thinking bout what I've written...

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**Chapter 2 - **

by water-fire-earth

Remus paced back and forth across his room restlessly re-trying the planned conversation again and again. Deciding to take Lily's advice on finding someone he would have a good time with had been easy.

The first part of the advice was not hard to do: find someone. Kate was an obvious choice to Remus they were long standing friends and he felt completely relaxed around her.

The second part of the advice? Much, much harder for him: Actually asking her.

"Erm hey Kate!…Kate hi…Would you like to..erm can I…Dammit!"

Running his fingers through his hair he gave an exasperated sigh. Why was this so hard? He'd known Kate since the first day of Hogwarts and they'd instantly become friends, he didn't even like her like _that_ so this should be easy right?

"Kate, listen I was thinking maybe that that that.."

Suddenly he heard giggling from behind the door, he paused mid sentence.

A muffled voice was suddenly audible "Shhhhh you sound like a girl you freak!"

Silently Lupin made his way across the room towards the door, grasping the handle he pulled it open suddenly.

Sirius and James who had been leant against the door fell into the room in a collapsed heap, Sirius landing heavily on top of James. Remus stared down at them one eyebrow raised.

"Hey Remus" grinned Sirius sheepishly peering up at him. "We were just erm..."

"Sirius, I'd appreciate it if you could get up before you start with the explanation of this" choked James "You seem to be forgetting you fell on me and not the floor?"

Sirius rolled his eyes at Remus "Finnnne James if you're going to moan"

Scrambling up he threw himself on the nearest bed and watched James stagger to his feet coughing.

"Ok first off Sirius I find your giggle kind of scary I mean it's a little bit more than slightly girly" started Remus.

Sirius smiled "Women love a man that's in touch with his feminine side"

James and Remus shot him a strange look but he just shrugged carelessly.

"Okkk and secondly why the hell where you two just listening through the door?"

James attempted to hide a smile and failed "We erm kind of heard you talking to yourself and well…"

"Who doesn't want to laugh at someone who sounds crazy?" finished Sirius.

"Erm I don't know let me think…ah yes someone that has a life?" Remus retaliated sarcastically.

"Nooo it's the kind of thing that people who have a life do"

Remus held his hands up "Ok ok, whatever I really don't care what you think"

"That's caus he doesn't think" James jumped in.

"Hey! I resent that fact" Sirius said faking a hurt look.

"Anyway Moony before we jump subject altogether" James cut in swiftly "What were you doing?"

Remus avoided James's stare "Just trying to get the courage to ask someone to the ball" he admitted colouring slightly.

"Oooooh who?" shouted Sirus jumping up on the bed "Is she hot? Ah I bet it's one of the girls I picked!" he winked at Remus "It's one of the girls I picked isn't it? Isn't it? Go onnn you can admit it was a girl I picked"

"SHUT UP SIRIUS!" laughed James trying to sound cross.

"_IwasjustgoingtoaskKate"_ mumbled Remus.

"What? Who has cake?"

"Sirius he didn't say cake he said KATE"

"Oh…..So no one has cake then?"

"No"

"Oh"

"But Kate Green? I had no idea you liked her! I thought you two were just really good friends?" said James eyebrow raised.

"We are, and I don't, I just took Lily's advice to forget finding the perfect date and just taking someone I have a good time with!"

A look of pure exasperation crossed James's face "I told her to stop giving advice! But did she listen? No because when does she listen to me? If you took Lily's advice there's no hope."

Remus hit James on the arm "You really have no respect for your girlfriend!"

"No I just don't respect her advice"

"Well like it or not I'm going to take it"

"Ok, but when you come running back to me going 'James you were completely right I should never ever have trusted Lily's advice I am so sorry you are the best friend ever how can I possibly make it up to-'"

He was cut off mid sentence as Remus flicked his wand and his mouth was clamped shut.

Remus studied his handy work "Yep much better! Now if you were lucky you'd have a friend in this room that listened in class and would know the counter curse for that but luckily for me Peter is in the library and unfortunately for you, you have Sirius"

"Hey what is this, insult Sirius day?" Sirius yelped.

"Do you know the counter curse?"

"Well technically…..no" Sirius shot James an apologetic look and beamed "Looks like you're a bit stuck then Prongs"

James glared at Remus and stalked out of the dorm.

"Who's going to go ask Lily for something now?" laughed Remus at his retreating back.

James whipped round and tried to signal some sort of sign language about Remus and dying, his only response was confused looks and a quiet muttering from Sirius _'he likes what on toast?'. _Giving up he simply swore at the two before turning to find Lily.

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Kate felt her stomach flutter as she saw the tall figure of Remus enter the Great Hall at breakfast and head in her direction. She found it unnerving that he still had the ability to make her feel so nervous and self conscious after all these years.

She'd known him from the first day of Hogwarts and liked him from the third.

"Hey Kate, haven't talked to you in oooh a day?" teased Remus as he slid into the space next to her.

"Wow has it been that long? You know I haven't missed you in all the time!" grinned Kate.

Remus immediately relaxed, realising he'd been nervous about asking his question for no reason. "So then have you managed to get yourself a date for this winter ball type thing?"

Kate looked up at this question and searched Remus's eyes for answers, was he going to…? Or was he just asking? Her heart leapt unable to stop herself from hoping "No not yet".

"Me neither" he admitted "I hate the whole getting the courage to ask someone thing you know?"

Kate rolled her eyes and nodded in agreement "I hate the whole not knowing whether anyone's going to ask me at all or whether if you reject someone then the person you hoped might ask doesn't and you end up alone. Does that make any sense at all?"

Remus laughed "Yeah in a twisted sense, it can get pretty annoying this whole finding a date thing"

"Sometimes I really wish we didn't have to bother, but on the other hand when you find someone right to go with –" Kate caught Remus's eye at this point and quickly looked away.

"Mmm" nodded Remus staring hard at the table "It's just sometimes the right person has already found someone" he mumbled glancing down the table at Skye.

"What? I didn't get a word of that?"

Remus straightened up "Erm I said..well listen you might think this just stupid but erm what if we went together? That is unless there's someone you're waiting to ask you?"

Kate breathed deeply, inside she was pratically screaming, she couldn't believe it he was finally asking her! Attempting to contain her feelings she finally managed to reply. "No, there's no one else" she breathed "I'd love to go".

Remus smiled his brown eyes looking into hers "Great! I guess I'll see you later then"

Kate laughed nervously "Erm, yeah later!"

As soon as Remus had ambled down the Gryffindor table to join the Marauders she pushed her cereal away and rushed out of the Great Hall in search of Keira and a much needed celebration.

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"See now that wasn't too hard was it Moony?" asked James as Remus smiling took the place next to him.

Remus grinned "Nope not at all me and Kate have been friends too long for it to be awkward, and besides she seemed to like the idea of going with a friend."

"So that's me and Moony sorted what about you two?" questioned James "Sirius half the girls in the school have been making eyes at you all week!"

"Exactly!" grinned Sirius grabbing more bacon happily "That's why I'm not taking anyone"

"WHAT?" cried James, Peter and Remus in unison.

Sirus looked at them knowingly "Aah well if I take someone I have to stay with her all night"

"That's generally the idea of a date Padfoot"

"Well Exactly! If I don't take anyone then there's no restrictions, I can dance with anyone, make out with anyone, fill in for a date gone wrong - Why are you all looking at me like that?"

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The next days passed in a blur, as the Christmas break drew closer and closer the teachers stacked on more and more homework and the hours they spent working soon out did the hours spent pulling pranks on the Slytherins and messing about.

Sirius however still seemed to manage to fit in a wide range of different girls into his busy schedule without problem.

Before they knew it it was the evening before the last night, the pre-ball night.

The Marauders were lounging around the seats by the common room fire, Lily was leant against James her hand entwined with his. As ususal Sirius and James were arguing half heartedly over a totally pointless subject.

"You could fit at least two dragons in the Great Hall!" cried Sirius looking at James as if he was crazy.

"Sirius you blatantly couldn't! I mean come on for one how would you fit them through the entrance?"

Lily looked at Peter and Remus incredulous. "Is this for real?"

Remus grinned "Ahh poor Lily, you had no idea did you? With James its kind of a buy one get one free..a kind of package deal - When you started dating James you kind of got Sirius as well.. Sirius is the free item you get when you agree to buy that no-body wants"

Sirius who was by now gesturing wildly about dragon wing span stopped and glared at him "You know you think I'm just going to let this thing of insulting me all the time slide don't you? I don-"

Peter immediatly jumped in realizing they may have gone one Sirius joke too far and made use of Sirius's short attention span. "Lily where's Skye, you two are always together?"

It worked as Sirius stopped mid come back and turned "Heyyy yeah where is Skye? She never hangs out with us anymore! I miss my little SK."

Lily couldn't help laughing slightly "How slow are you? She hasn't hung around as much with you lot in ages..Remeber? Zack? Her _boyfriend_? Ever thought she might be with him?

Sirius looked confused for a minute "Zack...Ohhh She's still going out with him? How long has that been now?"

"Three months, two weeks" Remus answered automatically, realising immediatly afterwards he'd said this a bit too fast and suddenly became very interested in the floor.

Lily gave him an odd look and nodded "Yeah I think that's right"

"That's a long time" commented Sirius thoughtfully.

"Black a relationship that lasts a _week_ is serious to you" said Lily shaking her head.

Everyone laughed as Sirius nodded seriously.

Just then a third year burst into the common room and rushed straight across to Lily nearly sending two unfortunate first years flying in her hurry.

"Lily" she began breathlessly "It's the erm well the erm you know 'the ending thing'"

The Maurauders started back at her as if she was crazy but Lily sighed and getting up to the protests of James followed the third year back out of the portrait hole.

"I'm sorry what? Did that just happen?" asked Peter staring at the space Lily had just occupied.

"Oh it's just some preparation for the end of the ball" yawned James "And before you ask why I'm not invovled I wasn't allowed to help, Apparently I can't keep a secret!"

"You CAN'T keep a secret"

"Hey you seem to be forgetting there's a huge secret I'm keeping right now" glared James and glancing at Remus quickly.

"Well other than that" sighed Remus "Your pretty bad, I don't think anyone will forget the Kangaroo incident.."

"Hey can we not?" pleaded Peter as the Marauders began to laugh.

James made an attempt to be serious "Yes, yes your right I think it's very cute you used to think you were a Kangaroo and that you used to-"

Peter jumped up making the Marauders laugh harder at the memory and whipped his wand out. "Seriously James.."

"Ok, ok" said James gasping for breath but then catching sight of Sirius doing a Kangaroo impression right behind Peter burst into fresh laughter.

Peter gave a fustrated sigh and stalked off towards the boys staircase the laughter ringing in his ears.

"Ooops" grinned Remus.

"Oh he'll live" said Sirius carelessly lolling back in the chair "Who else will we laugh at when Snivellus is not here?"

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A/N: Soo...now you've read Review! You know you want to! 


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